Have regimes, prisons, and politics always been as cruel as they were in the twentieth century, or was that century just particularly mean?
Literally nothing is new, unless it is.
>>1000565
Wtf is 'cruel' supposed to mean anyway?
20th century was particularly barbaric, but 21st century isn't exactly peaches and cream
we peaked with the world wars in terms of sheer volume; sheer numbers
>>1000592
>we peaked with the world wars in terms of sheer volume; sheer numbers
If you mean in terms of sheer numbers of those that die in conflicts and as the result of conflicts, you are incredibly mistaken.
WW3 will be fought either as a result of or to stave off worldwide economic ruin. This economic ruin could be brought about by a number of factors.
>the massive a mount of leveraging, Quantitative Easing, and extremely low interest rates in world financial markets that is RIGHT NOW causing people to turn to hard money, which in turn removes more currency from the economy and necessitates more Quantitative Easing (which basically means printing money to put more into the economy)
>commercial space travel moving to mining of nearby asteroids, for which there is already a plan in place, that would immediately destabilize earth ore as an asset type (one of the nearest asteroids that is the subject of such a plan is thought to be a store of iron greater than any one nation currently possesses in its mines and more gold than has been mined in the history of the planet)
>the collapse of oil prices, which underpin many world currencies and which could render them incapable of paying their national debts
>the USA defaulting on its debt, which will be 30 trillion dollars before 2025, would destroy the dollar and cause hyperinflation in the US as well as destroy US bonds and economies that are highly invested in them, such as EVERYONE ELSE
>the migrant crisis in Europe has already seen Switzerland place tanks on its border to stem the flow of refugees, while Austria is building a wall for the same reason, and both moves put those countries at odds with other powers in Europe that want to accept more refugees despite their populations beginning to push back against that policy
The world is literally on the brink of war, and all that is stopping it from coming to pass is the collective ignorance of the general public about these and other threats.
>>1000586
So, for example, when the Tsars sent prisoners to Siberia did the wardens encourage the prisoners to sell each other out like the Nazis and Soviets did? When the Romans staged coups were the families of everyone vaguely associated with the previous movement blacklisted? Did the Athenians frame other Athenians for lack of patriotism just because they had a grudge against them?
>>1000680
If I am correct about any of these scenarios, or any of a hundred others that could destabilize world economies and politics, another total war will be fought in Europe amid the backdrop of violent revolution in any country that cannot stave off the mass starvation and sickness that comes with economic collapse.
This is the true price of globalization and global markets.
>>1000682
Yes to all of these questions. Humans have always been vicious beasts. The only difference in the 20th century was the advent of total war.
>>1000682
>Did the Athenians frame other Athenians for lack of patriotism just because they had a grudge against them?
Are you kidding me? That's one of the biggest criticisms of Athenian democracy.
>>1000680
So you can predict the future? I don't know about the future. I'm just reporting history - we peaked in terms of violence; i.e., going by the reported numbers.
I am not a prophet.
>>1000685
The Spartans are said to have ritually waged an eternal war against the Helotes who were the original inhabitants of their land
>>1000565
They've always been like that. We only think the world wars/dictatorships of the 20th century were so brutal because they're the most recent ones
>>1000680
You grossly underestimate the ability of governments to ad-hoc their way out of economic problems like this.
Worse yet, they used to be much more cruel. The only difference between the 20th century and previous centuries was that there was no technology to centralize all the cruelty. However, the previous centuries had mass slavery, torture, death, blood fueds, local clan warfares that were just as cruel and often much more cruel than WWII or communism was
In the 20th century propaganda was very important and people had their leader speaking on the radio for example. In the 15th almost no one knew how their ruler looked like.
>>1000744
History repeats. Past is prologue. Look at hose past wars started, and look for similar trends today.
>>1000772
Oh no, I don't. They have been doing it since 1987 at the latest in the US. I just think eventually the problems will get big enough that papering over them won't work.
Interestingly, if you follow economics, you know we are in a real shitstorm right now, albeit quietly, as the media is refusing to cover it.
